Bats In The Belfry
by Black Dragon Queen
Summary: SLASH! The one thing the Kryptonions never expected they'd have to deal with was the Bat Family's "Extended Family". Random Drabbles -Will be in all universes pretty much. BM:animated, SM:animated, JLA, and Teen Titans.
1. 01

**Bats In The Belfry**  
_By Black Dragon Queen_

**Pairing**: Clark/Bruce, Kon/Tim Implied, Others will appear as needed.**  
Rating: Anywhere from G to R depending on the chapter. I'll make it T just to be safe.  
Warnings: **NONE**  
Spoilers: **NONE**  
Disclaimer:** None of these Characters belong to me. They belong to their respective creators and copyright holders.  
**Universe**: No Particular Verse. I love the movie Bruce but we'll see other places such as Justice League and Teen Titans.  
**Notes**: This will pretty much be random drabbles as inspiration strikes me. Just fun fluff.  
**Summary: **The one thing the Kryptonions never expected they'd have to deal with was the Bat Family's "Extended Family"

* * *

1.

Clark was awake with the first ray of dawn over the horizon. Even though the light was hidden behind the multitude of oak trees that lined the massive Wayne property, Clark still knew with every molecule of his being the exact moment the yellow sun the Earth orbited first show it's radiance to chase back the dark of the night. It was the same every morning wherever Clark might be, be it Smallville, Metropolis or Gotham. It was like a sudden rebirth of not only the day but of Clark himself.

There was a small mutter beside him and Clark glanced over to find Bruce had confiscated his pillow and had already buried his face in the hollow Clark had left. If Clark was the dawn then Bruce was the dusk. Up with the moment the sun dipped below the horizon, the shadows wrapping around him closer than any cape and cowl could ever achieve Bruce was creature that was one with the night.

It was probably what brought them together faster than any of their similarities ever could. The saying that opposites attract was more than just a saying when it came to them. It was their differences that completed the other. Bruce's methodical multitasking and Clark's so-called fly by the seat of his tights as it were. They had had their differences, their fights, their problems but in the end it was something about the other that always pulled them back, each one gravitating to their opposite.

Or perhaps there was something about the so called "bat family" that the Kryptonions couldn't help gravitating towards. Kon and Tim were probably still out for the count if they ever went to bed in the first place. They might still be up playing video game for all Clark knew. Not that he wanted to check in case they were up but not playing video games. Clark shuddered a bit at that. That was one thing he did not need to see.

With a sigh Clark cracked his neck a bit when his eyes suddenly met another pair staring unblinkingly back at him. Clark froze, his eyes caught by the unwavering gaze. Moving slowly so as not to alarm the owner of the gaze Clark reached back and shook Bruce's shoulder.

"Wha-?" Bruce groaned through the pillow.

"He's back," Clark declared with a note of wariness in his voice that was rarely heard by anyone save Bruce and almost always for this exact reason.

Without even raising his head Bruce fumbled a bit for one of the ornate pillows and with unsurprising accuracy hurled it at they voyeur. "OUT!" he bellowed though it was muffled slightly by the pillow.

The intruder let out a piercing squeak before he flew about the room a bit before finally flying out the window. Bruce was already curled back around the pillow Clark had used and buried under the blanket, his leg thrown over Clark's lap for all appearances asleep once again. Clark shook his head before he looked back at the window the bat had flown out of, a thoughtful look on his face. The bat had been rather large with a few flecks of gray on his brown fur. Clark had a more than a feeling he'd seen it before. "Was that the same bat as yesterday?" he asked after a moment.

"If it was then it was Boris," came Bruce's reply.

Clark glanced down at his lover amused. "I can't believe you name your bats."

"They came with the names, I just inherited them," was Bruce's standard reply.

Smirking, Clark leaned down and dropped a kiss on the back of Bruce's neck before he headed for the shower and prepared for the flight back to Metropolis.

Landing on his balcony while the sun was still only halfway over the horizon, Superman sighed as he instantly looked about the room for anything out of place. Kon was still at the Wayne manor but as long as he made it to class, Clark wasn't all too worried. Smiling slightly he raised his hand to the clasp on his cloak and whipped it off with a bit more force than perhaps was necessary. A sudden noise from the fabric had Superman on the opposite side of the room already crouched in a fighting position before recognition finally hit.

Surprised, he straightened and started looking about the room with his x-ray vision even though he already knew where the culprit had gone. Floating upwards slightly so he could see the top of his highboy dresser, Clark stared at the smaller bat that was nestled in the dark corner in the corner where the walls met. It's almost pure black coloring making him nearly invisible to a normal human gaze.

"You're back too, huh?" Clark chuckled as he stared at the little creature before reaching out and scooped the bat up into his hands.

The bat amazingly remained perfectly still as he allowed the Kryptonion to carry him in the cup of his hands. Balancing the bat in one palm he brought it to his chest as he moved towards the phone. The last time the bat had tagged along with him to Metropolis Clark had just flown him back the next day and let him loose in the cave but Clark wasn't going to be home for the next few days. He was going to a press conference in Washington with Lois and he was meeting her at the airport in four hours and he wasn't about to abandon one of the Wayne bats for nearly a week.

Punching in the number for the direct line into Bruce's bedroom he was surprised it took two rings before the billionaire picked up. "Still asleep? It's only five thirty." Clark teased.

"What do you want?" Bruce's aggravated tone grumbled down the line.

"I seemed to have picked up a hitchhiker."

There was a long pause. "Hang on a second." Clark blinked as the line went quiet.

He stared down at the little bat in his hand. "Did he just put me on hold?" The bat just nestled down deeper into his palm.

There was a click as Bruce returned. "Okay, you've apparently got Lex."

"LEX?" Clark yelped, nearly dropping the apparent second owner of the name. "You named one of your bats after the man sworn to kill me at any cost?" The bat squeaked and Clark could have sworn he sounded affronted.

There was a snort. "Of course not," Bruce said through a yawn. "The bat had the name long before Luthor." Clark glanced down at the animal. He was no expert but the bat looked rather young. "Anyway, it's short for Lexington."

"Uh-huh…" Clark hummed disbelievingly.

"Just leave him on the balcony before you lock up," Bruce instructed and Clark could almost here the eye-roll. "He'll find his own way home." Clark looked at the little bat dubiously. "If not he can always take a midnight flight back tomorrow night."

"Oh ha, ha." Clark frowned at the phone before he brought it back up. "He's your bat."

"Not my bat-" Bruce muttered before he hung up.

Clark sighed and glanced back down at the bat. "I hope you really can find your way home," he mused. "I'd hate to find out what Bruce would do to me if I lost one of his precious bats."

The bat squeaked in answered before leaving Clark's hand and flew back to the highboy to settle down for the day in the nice dark niche.


	2. 02

**Bats In The Belfry**

_By Black Dragon Queen_

**Author's Note**: These really weren't designed to be consecutive but rather random glimpses into the insanity that a cave full of bats can wrought. However moontreasurei asked if Lexington made it home so I had to answer her question! Enjoy!

* * *

2.

"What is that?" Kon, or rather Connor, asked curiously as Clark opened the door to his apartment to greet his "cousin".

"I would think it was obvious," Clark drawled as he glanced up at the fluttering creature darting about his apartment.

"Okay, better question. Why is it here?" Connor amended his question as he watched the bat flit from one piece of furniture to another, on occasion flying into the light fixtures on the ceiling.

"Believe it or not, he followed me home."

"Don't believe it," Connor stated flatly as he dropped his duffel bag on Clark's couch. Clark instantly frowned at him and Connor froze. Very slowly he reached for the bag and gently lifted it off the couch and set it down on the floor. "You know how much you look like Aunt Martha when you stare like that?"

"What?" Clark frowned as he went to fetch his own bag. "You're not in the Titan Tower you know!" he called over his shoulder. "You can't just throw your stuff anywhere you please."

"I am _so_ happy I'm going back to the tower today," Connor muttered under his breath.

"I heard that," Clark chuckled as he returned with his bag and dropped it next to Connor's. "Let me just get Lex."

He stared at the little bat, trying to figure out the best way to approach him without having to fly after him all over the living room or accidentally squishing the creature. Clark was relieved and a bit surprised to find the animal still in his apartment when he had returned. He had left the window open a crack, deciding not to wonder about what might fly _into_ his place, to allow the bat to come and go at his leisure.

Apparently any bugs that had flown into the apartment Lexington had taken care of. Clark was especially glad there were no messes he had to clean up after. The last thing he had wanted to do was clean guano first thing after getting home from a three day trip with Lois.

Connor jolted at the name and his eyes shot up with stunned surprise and a bit of wariness as Clark continued to stare at the bat. "Lex?" he asked slowly.

"The bat," Clark replied absently before he whirled back around to look at the stunned and horrified expression on Connor's face. "It's short for Lexington. Bruce insists that he came with the name."

Connor stared at the bat hanging upside down on the lampshade at the other end of the couch though his shoulders did relax slightly at the explanation. "If he says so," he frowned before deciding to ignore the bat altogether. "So are you two headed up to the watchtower or…?"

"No, we'll be at the manor if you or Tim needs us. Just a quiet weekend."

"Yeah, quiet. Sure," Connor shook his head, his tone indicating that he highly doubted that would take place anytime in the near future.

"Oh hush you," Clark frowned. "Did you get all you needed from the library?"

"Yes sir," Connor sighed. One good thing about having the ability to fly wherever meant that Connor could take advantage of his older city boy "cousin" and raid the much larger Metropolis library in comparison to Smallville's tiny library slash coffeehouse or when in need, the Daily Planet's old archives for stuff still not found on the world wide web.

"Gotcha!" Clark leaped and Lexington took off.

Three things happened at once. The lamp fell over off the end table and shattered against the wood floor, Clark's toes caught the coffee table and upended the entire piece, sending magazines, research papers and remote controls everywhere and Lexington made a beeline for Connor.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH! GET IT OFF ME!"

"Stop flying about the room and I will!" Clark jumped back as Connor went streaking by, circling the room faster than anyone else could have followed.

Connor finally came to a stop before Clark, hopping on one foot and his hands hovering over his head as if he was afraid to touch the creature clinging to his hair. "Get it off! Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!"

Clark tried his best not to smirk. "Okay, hang on." Reaching forward, he gently pried the bat out of Connor's hair and cupped the small animal in his hands, cooing softly to it.

"Don't purr at the stupid thing! It's evil! It's an evil bat!" Connor yelped as he shook his hair out. "Ugh, shower. I need a shower and about three bottles of your shampoo."

"You can shower at the manor or the tower later. I told Bruce we'd be there around three."

"It's a quarter to, we can make it," Connor insisted as he turned to head towards Clark's bathroom.

"Later," Clark ordered as he snagged the teen's bag and hurled it at him. He looked about at the mess and sighed. He so did not want to deal with it at the moment and to do so would mean letting Lexington loose again. Sighing, he flicked the light switch. "Come on."

Connor glared but slung his bag over his shoulder nonetheless. "Just keep the devil bat away from me." Lexington gave out a small pitiful squeak. "Don't think I'm not on to you."

"You know you're arguing with an animal, right?"

Connor shrugged. "Krypto seems to understand when I talk to him."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Right. Gotham, here we come."

Lexington seemed to perk up at this and started squeaking and flapping his wings madly in anticipation. Clark glared down at the little bat before he ensured that his balcony doors were secure and that he had Lex secure in his hands so the animal wouldn't squirm out of his hold mid-flight and with a small sigh, he pushed off and quickly followed Conner out into the fading light.


	3. 03

**Bats In The Belfry**

_By Black Dragon Queen_

**Author's Note**: Class is depressing me. My answer: More FLUFF! XD

* * *

3.

"Connor! Slow down!"

"Why? It's not like we have to obey any speed limits up here!"

Clark rolled his eyes as the other flyer sped even further ahead of him. "Fine, you run into a tree it's your own fault," he muttered under his breath.

"What? Wah-!"

Clark couldn't help but smirk as Connor barely avoided a pine. "They never listen, do they?" he asked his tiny passenger. Lex squeaked in large pocket of Clark's overcoat but he doubted it was in reply to anything Clark said.

"Are we there yet?" Connor huffed.

"Really? You're going to ask me that?" Clark asked the boy as he came up next to him.

"You don't let me go any faster!" Connor instantly complained.

"Fine, fly faster and we'll see how quickly the satellites spot you and they get the jets scrambled to intercept." Connor rolled his eyes but remained slightly faster than a normal jet then going faster than the speed of sound, as Clark knew he wanted to do. "Was I such a brat as a teen?" he muttered to himself.

"According to uncle John, yes."

"I was speaking to Lex!"

Connor gave him a long look. "Sure."

The rest of the way was traveled in silence and Clark quickly took the lead and headed towards the waterfall that covered the entrance to the bat cave. Connor had only gone that way once, Tim usually taking him via the manor route. Zipping through the water, Clark shook what few water drops that clung to him off. Frowning, he turned back to find Connor finally floating towards his side, sopping wet.

"Got my shower!" he grinned cheekily before whirling into a spin to remove all the water.

Clark just stepped to the side and frowned at the puddle on the floor. "They have regular showers here you know, not to mention the tower."

"I'm not meeting up with Tim smelling of bat!"

"Why not? He smells it all the time!" A pause. "In fact he smells of it himself so I don't think he's really going to notice if you smell like it." Another pause. "Why _do _you smell like bat?"

"Dick!" Clark smiled wide at the figure seated in the chair in front of the Bat Cave's massive computer system. "Why are you here?"

"Nightwing had to analyze a few compounds," Dick smiled widely as he headed towards the pair to greet them. "And no system is as good as the Bat's."

"No kidding. And speaking of bats and why Connor smells like them," Clark smiled as he reached down and pulled out a little puffball.

"LEXEY!" Dick instantly cried out as he reached forward to accept the creature. "I had wondered where he got off too. Alfred didn't know."

Connor and Clark glanced at one another surprised. "You mean Bruce didn't tell you he was with me?" Clark asked surprised. If Bruce hadn't brought it up specifically, then how had Dick known Lex was missing out of the near hundreds of bats hovering around the place?

"Hmm? Oh no, I only just got here before you did," Dick shrugged as he lifted the bat to eye level. "Don't do that without telling someone where you're going," he admonished the animal.

"Okay then," Clark shrugged at Connor's questioning look. "So where are the others?"

"Showers, believe it or not. The Tumbler's still warm so I think they only just got here too," Dick snickered.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

All three jumped and whirled towards the sound of the rather furious scream. Dick actually had the batarangs off a bench and held at the ready. Three of them actually as Clark took in his position in a glance. The last thing that they ever expected to come literally flying out of the shower area was four bats followed by a rather extremely angry Tim in nothing but a bath towel flinging his own batrangs after them.

"And stay out!" he shouted at the top of his lungs before he turned to head back into the shower when he caught sight of the other three hero's, two still in a fighting stance. Tim's eyes went right past the Kryptonions however and landed on Dick who had already long since put his own batarangs away. "Dick!" Tim cried out joyfully, much to Connors disappointment. "Do you know where your super soaker went?"

Lex, who had been hovering around Dick quickly let out a horrified squeak and soon disappeared into the darkness of the cave. Clark watched him go somewhat puzzled before he turned back his lover's two students. Connor, for his part, still hadn't taken his eyes off of Tim's barely clad figure.

"How should I know?" Dick was saying to the still miffed Tim. "I just got here!"

"I think Alfred had it in the kitchen yesterday," Bruce announced as he finally emerged from the shower area. Unlike Tim, he had put on sweats before emerging. Clark found himself oddly disappointed.

"Why would Alfred have a water gun in his kitchen?" Clark asked curiously as he followed Bruce to the computer.

"For the bad bats that try to sneak some snacks before dinner," Bruce chuckled before he gave a nod to a rather small bat that was hanging on the computer's overhang. "Charlotte." Clark blinked and looked up at the small animal. It looked just like every other bat in the cave. Just how was Bruce doing that?

"Whatever," Tim was rolling his eyes as he reached forward and pushed Connor's chin back up to close his mouth with one finger. "I'm going to go finish my shower-in peace!" Clark reached forward and snagged Connor's collar before the other boy could follow him.

"Hey, be grateful! When I was your age we didn't even have shower doors, let alone completely walled off from the rest of the main room!"

Connor whimpered and Clark tried extremely hard not to do the same


	4. 04

**Bats In The Belfry**

_By Black Dragon Queen_

**Author's Note**: This has been nominated for a **World Finest Awards 2010** Award in the Fluff - Long Category. Link in my profile for other great Batman/Superman Fic Goodness!

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4.

Clark groaned and slipped his glasses off to rub at his eyes. It was more a habit from imitating the Earthlings for so long rather than actual eyestrain. Lois glanced at him sympathetically before turning back to her computer.

Sighing, he slipped them back on and tried to concentrate on his own terminal and the article on the latest crime spree that had happened over the weekend. A weekend that was suppose to be nice and quiet long enough for him to have some time with his lover. Unfortunately, a massive escape from Archam kept both Batman and Superman busy.

Nightwing had quickly helped after his own drug ring he had been stalking for the past month was caught and Robin and Superboy had called and asked if they were needed. Bruce had told them to stay at the Teen Titan tower and had snarled at Nightwing but didn't get offended at the boys help. Clark's help, on the other hand was met with resistance and anger.

Clark had hoped that with Superman's help, Batman would- if not be grateful then at least pleased that they could somehow manage to salvage some of the weekend. Bruce, however, took it as a sign that Clark didn't trust his own ability at catching the very criminals he had caught time and time again before.

So much for a romantic weekend.

Another sigh left his lips and Lois glanced up again. With a small frown she turned back to her computer and typed rapidly. A small ping sounded off of Clarks and he glanced at the instant message that popped up. "Trouble in Paradise?" he read.

"You could say that," he sent back and his eye caught Lois' briefly and she sent him a rather sympathetic look.

"Want to talk about it?" was the next message.

Clark glanced quickly at the editor and chief's office but it seemed as if White was currently yelling at someone over the phone and wasn't paying attention to anyone in the main room. "Not really but it's driving me crazy. Every time I try to do something nice, it seems like it blows up in my face."

"Nice for you or nice for them?"

"What?"

A voice suddenly rang out through the room and everyone startled that it could be heard through the glass. "I don't care if you're understaffed, we need someone here now! Damn it!" Perry White, editor and chief of The Daily Planet slammed down his phone before he stomped over to his door and threw it open. Stomping out of the room he looked about at all the frozen reporters and staff before he looked up at the ceiling.

As one, the rest of the people in the room looked up at the vaulted ceiling. No one could see what it was that had White's attention so throughout captivated. No one save the one person in the room who had activated not only his x-ray vision but began listening intently for anything out of the ordinary.

It was for this reason and this reason only that Clark heard the very tiny squeak.

"Somebody get a ladder!" White suddenly bellowed and chaos erupted into the room. White was still shouting, screaming for someone to get in touch with a competent exterminator firm as people scrambled to get away from the flying shadows.

It wasn't just one bat like Clark had assumed, thinking Lex had followed him again but five bats had suddenly descended into the room and began darting between, over and at some times under people, scattering them in all directions. Females screamed, men cursed and Lois went for her large handbag and began swinging. Clark dove to rescue the animal from Lois' wild swings.

The bat was larger and darker than Lexington was but Clark only noted that in passing as he shoved it into his inner coat pocket and went after the other four. As it turned out, he didn't need to bother as the bat in his pocket let out a long nearly inaudible to the human squeak. The next thing Clark knew, all four bats were headed straight for him, Lex leading the charge.

"Gah!" Clark ducked and weaved as they proceeded to fly around his head. It wasn't the bats he was dodging from however, but rather Lois' purse as she tried to come to his aid.

"Kent! Get out of here!" White bellowed furiously. "And take those things with you!"

Clark didn't need to be told twice. Ignoring the elevators, he headed right for the doorway to the stairs and pelted down them, conscious of the cameras within them. He wondered curiously what the building guards were thinking as they watched him tear down the stairs with four bats following close behind.

He wondered briefly if he set a new record for running down stairs without his super-speed as he hit the first floor landing and darted out the side entrance and into the alleyway next to the building. It was then that the four bats filtered off into the shadows and Clark was surprised by their sudden departure. Only the movement against his chest assured him that it wasn't some bizarre dream or horrific nightmare.

Unsure if he should return upstairs or head for home, Clark shrugged and decided to take an early lunch and maybe duck home for a change of clothing. Sighing, he reached into his coat where the bat was nestled into his inner pocket and gently pulled out his phone to alert White about his plans. He frowned as he flipped it open to discover it was already blinking to show that he had gotten a message sometime in the past few hours.

Clark frowned, not remembering when he had set it to mute and hit the one key to hear his messages. It was short and to the point.

"Clark," Bruce's smooth voice came out of the earpiece. "Lex seems to have disappeared again along with a few others. If you see them please alert them that they are in more trouble then the time they got stuck in the old steam pipes and that they may be re-acquainted with said steam pipes if they keep scaring Alfred with their now habitual disappearing act." There was a squeak from Clark's pocket but Clark was too busy staring at his cell phone in disbelief as Bruce continued.

"I do not care what their previous habits were in the past but if they continue to distress Alfred as they have been dinner will consist of tiny, little bat-kabobs. Tim is digging out the skewers from the storage room and Dick is searching the stores for a barbecue sauce that would go with fried bat. I do not like seeing Alfred upset or worried Clark. Remind them of that."

"No more new messages," the automated female voice snapped Clark out of his stupor and he snapped the phone shut before holding open his coat to stare at the bat still hiding in his coat pocket. The bat stared up at him with what Clark could only think of as a bat's equivalent of puppy eyes.

"How do I get myself into these things?" Clark sighed as he headed off for home, the sound of wings flapping following dutifully behind him.

- More To Come


	5. 05

**Bats In The Belfry**

_By Black Dragon Queen_

**Author's Note**: I got Justice League: Doom. :D

* * *

5.

Work, work, work. That seemed to be all he ever did, in one way or another. Leaning against the back of the chair at the head of the table, Superman wondered if he had time to kick his feet up on the table for a while before anyone else came in before deciding against it. It was one thing for Flash to be doing it all the time but it would seem out of character for Superman to be anything but professional during these League meetings.

He was insanely early this wonderful Monday afternoon thanks in part to the five furry little guests currently in the watchtower helping him get almost the entire day off. Lois had kept him apprised of White's rampage even after he had left and it sounded as if the head office was still in complete chaos even after he had gone. He had texted her back stating that he was going to duck home and change when the tone of the text had shifted and White had gotten on.

White had replied that Clark was to stay away from "his" building until they were sure all the bats had gone and to get different cologne since it seemed his was apparently set for the wrong kind of animal magnetism. Clark drooped at that and wilted even more when Lois got back on and asked him if it was his farm boy charm that had animals of all kinds flocking to him. "Yeah, I'm a regular Noah's Ark kind of guy," he had replied before heading for home as inconspicuously as he could with four bats following or clinging to his coat.

He glanced over at the largest of the five bats currently hiding in the darker corner and wondered if it was because he smelled of the bat cave that they always followed him around. Bats had better smell, didn't they? He couldn't remember. Though he supposed Bruce might have mentioned it once or twice. He made a mental note to ask after the meeting when the door swooshed open and Diana walked in followed by Hal.

"Hello Diana. Hal." Clark greeted them informally. The meeting had yet to start, after all.

Diana gave a small nod as she went to her chair at his left while Hal grinned an sat down in his customary place kitty corner to her, the second seat to Clark's right. "Evening! Hey, how long do you suppose this meeting will go? I mean two hours tops, right?"

Clark raised an eyebrow. "Why? Have a hot date tonight or something?"

Hal shrugged. "Or something." Clark waited for him to elaborate. "There's this band a few of my friends want to go see at a bar tonight and they threatened to drag me there by my ankles if I didn't show up. I told them I'd be there at about eleven. That should be plenty of time, right?"

Clark just laughed. "Careful Hal, I would think you were channeling Wally there."

"Why do you think I'm asking now _before_ he shows up? You know he'll want to tag along," Hal laughed. "Wally never shows up until the last possible second anyhow so I figured I was safe asking."

"I would think two hours would be more than enough time for the meeting but I'm not sure Batman would agree with you," Diana stated.

Hal turned back to Clark. "Did he say anything to you about it?"

Clark shook his head, thinking back. "Nothing came up the last time we spoke." Hal looked excited. "However that never means anything with him. He could think of a million things during the three second beam up." Hal groaned and thumped his head on the table as the door swished open and J'onn stepped in.

"Good evening everyone," the Martian greeted everyone but Clark didn't think he heard their automatic replies as he froze in the center of the doorway and just stared at the far corner behind Clark's right should.

Diana and Hal looked at him curiously and it was a moment until Clark realized what it was he was staring at. "Oh, that's one of bats. Just ignore him," he told him and hoped that that would be the end of it. He should have known better.

Diana's turned to the corner of the room with a friend and Hal's head came up from the table. "'Bats'?"

Clark felt himself slouch a bit in his chair defensively. "Uh, yeah. It uh- followed me from Gotham?"

Hal and Diana turned to stare at him in disbelief. J'onn still hadn't looked away from the bat in the corner. "It followed you?" Diana asked suspiciously. "What? Like a puppy?"

"Oh lord, it's happening!" Hal groaned dramatically. "He's been lured by the promise of cookies. He's joined the dark side!"

"What?" Clark yelped aghast.

Hal just gave him a look. "Well why else would you have one of Batman's _bats_?"

Clark was quiet for a moment before he shrugged. There was no use arguing about it. "They're five actually."

"Five?" Hal burst out laughing. "Oh! Oh of all the times for Wally to be precisely on time instead of early! He's going to hate missing this!" Clark sent him his darkest look, which on Superman's face came off as marginally disapproving.

"Do they have names?"

He turned surprised to J'onn who was finally sitting down next to Diana before the question actually sank in. "Actually they do. Though don't ask me who's who. I only know Lex-short for Lexington," he added quickly to the disbelieving stares from Diana and Hal. "Oh and Boris but he's back in Gotham I believe. I don't think he's one of the ones here."

"Where's here?" Diana asked curiously.

"Here on the station," Clark explained. "I thought I might as well bring them along and Bruce could take them back with him after the meeting."

"A sensible plan," J'onn nodded.

That was when the door opened a third time and Green Arrow, Oliver, stood gasping for breath. "Clark. You'd best come quick! Something is attacking-"

"HELP!" A red blur shot past the door so fast some wondered if they actually saw it if it didn't appear again a mere second later.

"-Wally," Oliver finished with a final gasp, clambering into the safety of the room.

"Oh dear," Diana frowned, already getting up to go to his aid.

"Best let me handle this Diana," Clark sighed as he got up from his seat. He could hear what the others couldn't. The frantic squeaking attached to Wally's back. Three more bats suddenly swooped into the meeting room and began flying around Clark's head squeaking at him hysterically. "I know, I know. I'll get-" he glanced at the three around him. "Lex," he named the only one that was missing. "Why is it always Lex?"

J'onn appeared at his side smiling. "I believe the phrase is 'curiosity killed the bat'?"

Clark rolled his eyes as Wally made another pass by the door. That certainly would be true when Bruce found out what they had been up too. He wondered if he could get in on those bat-kabobs as he went chasing after Wally to rescue Lex.


	6. 06

**Bats In The Belfry**

_By Black Dragon Queen_

* * *

6.

With the way Clark was hovering, both figuratively and literally, one would think it was his own child that he was fretting over and not an animal! Though considering whom the animal apparently belonged to, Olly thought his friend's current upset state was more than a little appropriate. '_And funny too_,' he snickered to himself.

Clark usually donned a professional face and tried to remain as neutral as possible during the few squabbles that usually happened during these meetings. To see the normal calm, composed Superman essentially freaking out over the tiny, swaying figure on the table, arms stretched out as if to catch the thing if it fell over, which was starting to look more and more likely, was rather comedic. Olly wondered if it was the farm boy in him that had Clark acting like a mother hen.

The tiny bat, that Diana had told him in a rather disbelieving tone was named Lex, was standing in the center of the long meeting table, his drooping wings spread out for balance as it listed slightly from side to side. It was no wonder Clark looked a bit freaked! A gentle breeze would be enough to knock the creature over.

It was then that the bat actually did flop over onto his side with a tiny flop. Clark made a rather distressed sound and righted the bat back up, only to start the whole process over again. The wings hovered out; the bat wobbled for a bit and then fell down on his other side with a "foomp". Clark righted him again and the cycle continued.

"Why don't you just let it lay down?" Hal asked, leaning forward as if to poke the bat. Clark made a motion as if to smack the hand away and Hal took the smart route and pulled back quickly. Sadly, he knocked the table with his knee when he moved and the bat went down again. Olly smothered a snicker.

"I have no idea if that would be better or worse," Clark muttered, leaning forward to rescue the downed animal once again. "Could someone get on the net and look up how to care for an dizzy bat?" Lex fell over again and Clark twitched.

"I doubt anyone has ever had to take care of a dizzy bat before," Diana frowned.

"Do you suppose we should be taking notes?" Hal chuckled. "We could sell the information to zoos all over the world."

"How about we put it in a dark room to get its bearings?" Diana suggested, ignoring Hal completely.

"How about we just let it fly out the door?" came the growl from behind Olly and he rolled his eyes. Wally was standing behind him, a length of pipe in his hand that no one was quite sure where he had zipped off and gotten from, just _glaring_ at the tiny bat.

"Wally, you do realize we're in space… right?" Hal drawled.

"My point exactly," Wally continued to. "That thing tried to _kill_ me!"

"Lexington did not try to 'kill you'," Clark frowned at the other man before standing the animal back up for a fifth time. "He just… has a habit of hanging off people."

"Perhaps he thinks we're trees?" Hal chuckled.

"But what about rabies? Bats have rabies, right?" Wally asked frantically.

"True but I do not believe Lexington suffers from such a malady," J'onn returned smoothly. "I also highly doubt Bruce would appreciate us shooting his bat out of the air lock."

"What?" Wally nearly dropped his impromptu weapon. "It's Bat's bat?"

"Well why else would there be a bat here?" Clark snapped worry and frustration clear in his voice.

"How was I suppose to know he brought along his mascot!" Wally snapped back, though he did set down the pipe. Taking a seat at the far end of the table away from the still swaying bat, he continued to glare at the little thing. "Why'd Bruce bring it anyhow?"

"He didn't. I did," Clark explained as he stood Lex up again.

Jaw dropping, Wally looked to the others and just stared when they nodded in confirmation. His gaze swung back towards Clark disbelievingly. "For crying out loud, _why_?"

"They followed me to work and I brought them here to give back to Bruce," Clark stated as if this was an every day occurrence. '_And who knows_?' Olly wondered to himself. '_It very well could be with how worried he is over the thing_.'

Wally had froze at that announcement for a moment before he started looked about the room wildly. "What do you mean 'they'?"

It was then that three other bats suddenly flew out from their hiding places and started circling above the now flailing Wally. Hal and Olly burst out laughing when he finally fell out of his own chair. He wasn't sure, but Olly could have sworn even J'onn let out a small chuckled when the other bats had appeared from about the room.

A fourth bat suddenly appeared and landed on the table, ignoring the other three still doing little dive bombs at the shrieking Wally. Olly watched intrigued as to what it was up to. He was not alone in his study however. J'onn he was surprised to see had leaned forwards slightly to watch the two bats in the center of the table intently.

His own wings spread out wide, the larger bat leaned forward and just barely nudged the other bat with his nose. It was all it took though as Lex tipped over and fell onto the table with another "foomp". J'onn chuckled slightly as Clark instantly reached over and situate Lex again only to have the larger bat once again nudge him over.

"Stop that," Clark scolded, gently pushing the larger bat away. It was all for naught however as the other three, having successfully terrified Wally, suddenly descended on the two on the table and surrounded Lex, chittering madly. Lex couldn't take the stress it seems and tumbled to the side once again with a squeak of his own.

"Oh for the love of-" Clark finally reached down and plucked Lexington out from the center of the bats and just held the animal close to his chest. "Where the heck is Bruce?" he finally muttered.

Olly blinked in surprise before he groaned and raised his hand to gain Clark's attention. "Forgot with Wally and everything but I got a call from Robin." All eyes were suddenly on him. Even the bats seemed to be looking at him. He winced before plowing ahead. "Seems there's an issue in Gotham. None of them are coming."

Clark stared at him in disbelief before he dropped his head into his free hand with a groan. "Figures."


	7. 07

**Bats In The Belfry**

_By Black Dragon Queen_

* * *

7.

The bat cave was empty when Clark flew in later that evening.

He could have gone right out into Gotham proper to find Batman and to assist in dealing with any criminal activity going on but in truth, Clark was apprehensive to do so. Bruce would get offended again at Clark encroaching in his territory and Clark wasn't sure if he wanted to have that argument again so soon.

Lois' statement about Clark doing something nice for himself rather than his lover was still echoing in his mind and he some serious thinking to do. But first…

"Okay you lot. Home sweet cave." Lifting up his cape that he was holding in his hands like an impromptu sack rather than wearing, he opened the top to allow the small flying menaces to fly out.

Three of the bats instantly took off to parts of the cave unknown but Lex and the larger bat seemed content to remain around Clark. Or on Clark in the case of Lex who was still clinging to the side of the cape. The other bat at least had gone to hang off one of the wings of the batwing.

"Ah, master Clark. I see you brought back our wayward household members."

Spinning around, though not as quickly as he usually would so he wouldn't have to deal with a dizzy Lexington again, Clark watched as Alfred came down the stairs, a silver tea tray in his hands. "Alfred! Hi!"

An amused look crossed Alfred's face. "Hello to you as well. And welcome back Lexington, Colin." The bat on the plane shifted his wings before settling down once again. "I assume the others have been returned as well?"

"I had five in all," Clark informed him haltingly. "Including Lex and… Colin? I don't know how many you were missing…"

"No, five was the number of those who decided to have an adventure," Alfred confirmed as he set the tea service down on the side counter by the computer and started pouring a cup for Clark. "I do hope they didn't give you too much trouble."

"Trouble? Nah." Alfred stopped pouring in order to look up and raise an eyebrow at Clark significantly. Clark wilted. "Okay, they were a lot of trouble…"

"I do apologize for that."

"What? Oh no. You don't have to apologize for them…" Clark trailed off a bit before he let out a rueful chuckle as he accepted the cup and saucer. "Actually it was kind of fun."

"Truly? What mischief did they get into this time?"

Clark happily regaled what had happened in both the Daily Planet and the Tower and soon Alfred was chuckling right along with him. "I do hope Mister West was quite all right."

"Oh I think he was startled more than anything else," Clark admitted. "Lex seems to enjoy dive bombing anyone he comes across."

"It was not just Mister West?" Alfred sounded somewhat surprised.

"Oh no," Clark shook his head. "He jumped on Connor the second time I had to try and catch him to bring him home but I think we startled him more than anything else. And he's dove for me before but I think that was more to get away from Perry and Lois' purse." He was just bringing up his cup for another sip when he caught Alfred's bemused look. "What?"

"Nothing at all Master Clark. It's just encouraging to know that Lexington is making new friends."

Clark could only blink at that rather odd statement. "O-oh… well, good… I suppose." He went back to his tea only to realize that the cup was empty already. Alfred smiled again and lifted the pot in askance.

The tumbler was pulling in just as Clark decided to go for one of the small sandwiches that had been sitting on the service tray taunting him. Tim jumped out excitedly as Bruce followed at a more sedate pace. "Everything all right?" Clark called out and he was surprised to see Bruce start slightly at the sound of his voice.

"Oh, hey Clark!" Tim greeted him as he headed right for the tray of sandwiches. Clark quickly snatched two before the teenager got to it. "Come for the bat-kabob barbeque?" There was a sudden cacophony of chittering from in the interior of the cave at that statement.

"Everyone is present and accounted for," Alfred informed him as he poured another cup of tea and passed it onto Bruce who was pulling back his cowl. "I have prepared a light supper if you are hungry."

"Woo!" Tim crowed and quickly darted towards the showers as Bruce rolled his eyes

"It's there for anyone who doesn't think they are hungry as well," Alfred stated and Bruce hunched his shoulders slightly.

"I could go for a small bite if you could keep me company," Clark cajoled. The eyes rolled again but Bruce reluctantly nodded. Clark was getting worried as Bruce still had yet to say anything.

"Shall I make a tray for your room?" Alfred asked politely.

Clark went red but Bruce shook his head and Alfred left with a "very good sir."

Alone finally, save for the bats that were still squeaking in the back of the cave, Clark dropped a hand on Bruce's shoulder. "Everything okay?"

Bruce sighed and amazingly leaned back in the touch. "We handled it."

Clark hesitated, wanting to say that it wasn't what he meant but after a slight internal debate he settled for squeezing Bruce's shoulder again. Bruce's eyes peeked open again. "Food or bed?" Clark asked with a warm smile. "Or food in bed?"

Bruce graced Clark with one of his rare smiles but before he could answer, there was a sudden string of curses echoing out from within the shower and once again, Clark watched as three bats shot out of the locker room, Tim right behind them, another towel wrapped around his waist and shampoo suds coating his hair, carrying a large super-soaker water gun and alternating shooting the three bats. Tim had excellent aim but the bats had the agility as they dodged the streaming water.

Clark watched wide-eyed as Bruce just continued sipping his tea. "AND STAY OUT!" Tim bellowed. He watched the bats scatter before he turned back towards his shower and called over his shoulder: "let me know when Dick gets back with that sauce!"

Bruce actually lifted an arm in acknowledgement and Clark stared at him agog when here was a sudden tug on his sleeve. Looking down surprised he found Lex slowing climbing his arm like a tree, the expression on his small bat face practically screaming, "hide me!" to him.

There was a snort and a black-gloved hand plucked the bat off of Clark's sleeve. Clark went tense; waiting to see what Bruce would do but the billionaire simply downed the rest of his tea, cradling the bat in the palm of his hand against his side. "Shall we see what Alfred has prepared for us?" he asked as he set the cup back down on the tray.

Clark was startled of his stunned surprise. "Oh… right!"

Gathering up the tray in a daze, he followed Bruce, and Lexington, up the stairs and into the manor proper.


End file.
